Motorsport Off Topic Thread

Mr Jack said:
Lewis isn't retiring but speculation is fun.
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Just a bit of hypothetical fun. The build up to Hamilton contract renewal is always like this. :D

Mr Jack said:
They have half a dozen, but only Vesti is the only one who might take an F1 seat next year and even he needs a dramatic turn-around in his F2 season to get enough superlicense points, so they're all a bit by-the-by at the moment.
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Nobody suitable, though I forgot they signed Vesti. It doesn't look like he's getting anywhere in F2 this season anyway. He's barely been visible in races so far (I wasn't really watching Barcelona, because it's Barcelona, so I didn't see how he got a podium).
 
this_is_gav said:
Mercedes don't have any junior drivers at the moment as far as I know. Their only reserves are Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries, both of which they've stuck in FE rather than finding them a role with the likes of Williams, as they did with Russell. de Vries had a good outing in FP1 in Barcelona, but I'm not sure anyone thinks he's good enough for what will still be one of the most coveted drives on the grid.
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Jack Aitken maybe?
 
this_is_gav said:
Just a bit of hypothetical fun. The build up to Hamilton contract renewal is always like this. :D


Nobody suitable, though I forgot they signed Vesti. It doesn't look like he's getting anywhere in F2 this season anyway. He's barely been visible in races so far (I wasn't really watching Barcelona, because it's Barcelona, so I didn't see how he got a podium).
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Hasn’t Hamilton got a contract for 2023 anyway?
 
Mr Jack said:
With Russell as a solid leader in that team, they can take a chance on the second driver for a season.
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I agree. Isn't Russell director of the driver's association? He comes across as fairly wise beyond his years. If Hamilton stays put for another 1-3 years then by that time Russell will be the known quantity in the team and therefore they can take a punt on some young upstart.
 
Mr Jack said:
Lewis isn't retiring but speculation is fun.



I don't see it. With Russell solid in a seat, Ricciardo doesn't seem much of a fit. Gasly or Norris, perhaps, but I think they'll put de Vries in if they did need someone. With Russell as a solid leader in that team, they can take a chance on the second driver for a season.



They have half a dozen, but only Vesti is the only one who might take an F1 seat next year and even he needs a dramatic turn-around in his F2 season to get enough superlicense points, so they're all a bit by-the-by at the moment.
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They have Ocon as well
 
Mr Jack said:
Peréz signed by Red Bull until 2024. Wonder where that leaves Gasly and Tsunoda? Or the many Red Bull juniors currently in F2, for that matter.
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Well Gasly will likely be off, he'd be a great replacement for Ricciardo if they don't gamble on Herta/O'Ward from Indycar, hell probably a decent team leader for Aston as well if Vettel goes.
Tsunoda always felt like a dothing of the cap to Honda but he's been decent, probably see him alongside Daruvala or Vips at AT next year - I suspect they could be set for a return of the "junior" revolving door we saw in the past at Torro Rosso over the next couple of years.
 
chrismscotland said:
Well Gasly will likely be off, he'd be a great replacement for Ricciardo if they don't gamble on Herta/O'Ward from Indycar, hell probably a decent team leader for Aston as well if Vettel goes.
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I don't think McLaren will want him. They seem to have their own ideas about a future, and have Norris as a team leader. Vettel, I think, is unlikely to leave for another couple of years at least (he's only 34, remember), and so I don't think there will be a space for Gasly in either of those teams.

Tsunoda always felt like a dothing of the cap to Honda but he's been decent, probably see him alongside Daruvala or Vips at AT next year - I suspect they could be set for a return of the "junior" revolving door we saw in the past at Torro Rosso over the next couple of years.
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Tsunoda was immensely impressive in his rookie F2 season and is still very young. I was disappointed with his performance last year, but this year he seems to slowly edging ahead of Gasly. I agree a revolving door seems likely, but to what end? Red Bull seem to be planning on having Max for as long as they possibly can, and Peréz could easily sit in that seat for another five years.
 
Mr Jack said:
I don't think McLaren will want him. They seem to have their own ideas about a future, and have Norris as a team leader. Vettel, I think, is unlikely to leave for another couple of years at least (he's only 34, remember), and so I don't think there will be a space for Gasly in either of those teams.



Tsunoda was immensely impressive in his rookie F2 season and is still very young. I was disappointed with his performance last year, but this year he seems to slowly edging ahead of Gasly. I agree a revolving door seems likely, but to what end? Red Bull seem to be planning on having Max for as long as they possibly can, and Peréz could easily sit in that seat for another five years.
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Yeah you might be right on McLaren, huge risk though bringing in one of the two USA rookies, given no one but Montoya has really succeeded in "recent" years coming from Indycar. Vettel seems to give the impression that he really isn't arsed at times, I'd like to see him stay personally.

Agree with you on whats the point but nothing lasts forever and they might as well see how good some of the F2 rookies are in a decent car (AT) - Perez won't be around forever and who knows maybe Max will get his head turned if Audi or Porsche came calling with a bag of cash in a few years time, there's bound to be clauses in that 5 years contract relating to performance, etc. Red Bull need to plan for the future and protect themselves a little.

Was Tsunoda ever a proper "Red Bull Junior" like the current F2 crop, fast as he's been they might decide they want their "own" Juniors at AT.
 
chrismscotland said:
Yeah you might be right on McLaren, huge risk though bringing in one of the two USA rookies, given no one but Montoya has really succeeded in "recent" years coming from Indycar.
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True, but they also have Ugo Ugochukwu currently in F4 who - if he lives up to promise - will come through in a few years as a replacement if they can't make the switch. McLaren seem very keen on building a US connection right now so I think that will be the deciding factor.
 
Slam62 said:
Perez is the best number 2 they've had for a while, if not the best. Very sensible move.

Elsewhere, apart from George an Lando, no one is really standing out, Piastri needs a shout somewhere next year.
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I'm really glad to see perez being signed. I thought he was heading the way riccardo is now. But he's turned it around.

Great move for RBR and perez. He's lucky to get that seat. But absolutely deserves it.
 
413x said:
I'm really glad to see perez being signed. I thought he was heading the way riccardo is now. But he's turned it around.

Great move for RBR and perez. He's lucky to get that seat. But absolutely deserves it.
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I don't know about lucky. He's certainly making the most of it at the moment though. While they might have had an element of luck and strategy in getting to the front in Monaco, he had the beating of Max all weekend. If Red Bull hadn't done the swap in Barcelona then Perez would have been just one point off leading the championship now. Admittedly Max has had one more retirement (Melbourne) but still, that's mighty impressive for a clear number two.

Perez himself has had bad luck too though - he would have won in Saudi if Latifi could drive these cars - but instead finished fourth as he was the only one to make a green flag pitstop.
 
this_is_gav said:
I don't know about lucky. He's certainly making the most of it at the moment though. While they might have had an element of luck and strategy in getting to the front in Monaco, he had the beating of Max all weekend. If Red Bull hadn't done the swap in Barcelona then Perez would have been just one point off leading the championship now. Admittedly Max has had one more retirement (Melbourne) but still, that's mighty impressive for a clear number two.

Perez himself has had bad luck too though (he would have won in Saudi if Latifi could drive these cars).
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this_is_gav said:
I don't know about lucky. He's certainly making the most of it at the moment though. While they might have had an element of luck and strategy in getting to the front in Monaco, he had the beating of Max all weekend. If Red Bull hadn't done the swap in Barcelona then Perez would have been just one point off leading the championship now. Admittedly Max has had one more retirement (Melbourne) but still, that's mighty impressive for a clear number two.

Perez himself has had bad luck too though (he would have won in Saudi if Latifi could drive these cars).
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By lucky I meant he was lucky to be offered the original drive by Rbr when his old team dumped him
 
413x said:
By lucky I meant he was lucky to be offered the original drive by Rbr when his old team dumped him
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Taking on Peréz seemed pretty no-brainer to me. What were RB's other options? Continue with Albon's stinky run? Bring in previously failed Gasly or unimpressive rookie Tsunoda? Nah, they weren't doing that. The only other strong candidate, imo, would have been Bottas but he was never on the open market long enough for them to get a look in, especially as they seem determined to give Albon a chance to prove himself until the last. Peréz was the only experienced driver that they could really choose.
 
Lawson and Daruvala are about the only options in their junior team, and it would again be like throwing them to the wolves if they got promoted to the main RB team. They won't promote Gasly again (same as they didn't with Kvyat to save face) and Tsunoda isn't good enough.
 
I think Perez has had a decent run of late but I don't buy him being the second coming, or turning it around again. I don't know his history but he always seems like an "also ran" to me. Seems like a nice guy though, I can still easily imagine him going the way of Ricciardo.

In other news, looks like the FIA are bending the rules to cover themselves/RB again; https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f...-to-pitlane-lines-from-baku-weekend/10318851/ :rolleyes: So much for proper enforcement this year now that they are rid of Masi.
 
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